1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to automotive tooling and more particularly to a tool for checking the alignment of a latch mechanism to a striker structure.
2. Discussion
Despite widespread use of striker positioning fixtures, variations in the various components which affect striker alignment have not eliminated the need to manually verify, at least on a periodic basis, the alignment of a striker structure to a latch mechanism. The primary method for evaluating striker alignment has comprised the manual opening and closing of a door structure by a technician, with the technician noting any variances in the effort to open or close the door which are attributable to the dragging of the latch mechanism on the striker structure.
As one would expect, such evaluation methods are highly subjective and plagued by problems of inaccuracy and irrepeatability. The problem is especially acute when the performance of technicians who adjust striker alignment is checked by a second individual, typically an inspector. The analysis is highly dependent upon the skill and experience of the person checking for striker alignment, and as such, different persons are likely to have different opinions as to whether a striker structure is misaligned and the degree to which the striker is misaligned.
In view of the problems with the accuracy and repeatability of these evaluation methods, it has been recognized that the data used to adjust striker structure installation fixtures (the fixtures which initially position the striker structure to the vehicle body) is of generally low quality, resulting in a highly iterative adjusting process to obtain satisfactory alignment. Furthermore, inaccuracies in this data may cause unnecessary and/or erroneous adjustment in the position of a striker structure. Consequently, there remains a need in the art for a tool and a method for checking the alignment of a striker to a latch mechanism.